Sunday, August 1, 2010

Random Ramblings from the Vault...

So the big announcement has been made, that Brad Pitt will be playing the lead in the upcoming World War Z movie. I kind of thought this was a foregone conclusion when Pitt's production company optioned the novel about four years ago, but oh well...

One announcement which was far less predictable was the news coming out of Comic Con that Guillermo "I Have 683 Movies Currently in Development" Del Toro will be getting to work on a big-screen adaptation of H.P. Lovecraft's seminal novella At the Mountains of Madness, to be produced by Jim Cameron, no less. I suppose if Del Toro had to drop out of The Hobbit, this revelation makes it somewhat more palatable. The director's work on Hellboy proves to me that he has a firm handle on ol' Howard Phillips' oeuvre.

For all those either too young or not from around my neck of the woods, you may not be aware of it, but beloved character actor James Karen, best known for his roles in Return of the Living Dead and Poltergeist, was for many years the TV pitch man for a supermarket chain here in the Northeast. So that's how I knew him as a kid, long before I saw those movies. Just thought I'd share that bit of random weirdness.

After recently debating the eligibility of parole of Mark David Chapman, John Lennon's murderer, I've come to the conclusion that there needs to be a pilgrimage to the famous Dakota Hotel on Manhattan's Upper West Side. And not because it was where Lennon lived--no, there's been quite enough of that. We need to organize a pilgrimage of horror fans, because of the other reason the Dakota is famous--it's where Rosemary's Baby was filmed! So who's with me?

Was I the only kid who used to get scared of that giant walking pile of orange hair in sneakers from the Warner Bros. cartoons?

I really do feel that the new season of True Blood has been getting better with each episode, which is a good thing. But someone explain to me why we need to have this protracted storyline about Sam and the dog fights? This kind of superfluous storytelling, used to fill time and keep characters busy, is one of the pitfalls of episodic drama. If it ain't vampire-related and doesn't tie into Bill or Sookie in some way, I don't need it.

Eight-year-old Zombelina has been begging me to let her watch Jaws as of late, and I must say, I've been hesitant. Seems all the kids at camp have seen it (damn that's a rather hip bunch of fourth-graders, is it not?) and she yearns to join the conversation. But I'm not totally sure she can handle it. The usual parental tactics are not working--I may need to teach this lesson the hard way. Will report back.

Some may remember quite a while back, I reviewed a documentary on the history of horror films called Nightmares in Red, White and Blue, from director Joe Maddrey. Well, I'm proud to say that after some time struggling for distribution, the doc is currently available on a number of on-demand platforms, and will also be available on DVD starting September 28. For more info, go to the movie website. Can't recommend this Ken Burns-like look at the genre strongly enough.

If you'd like to be the proud owner of a poster from AMC's upcoming Walking Dead TV series (and who wouldn't, really?) then I advise you proceed to The Spooky Brew, where Maweanne, fresh from San Diego Comic Con, is giving one away! Yay, contests!

Long-time Friend of the Vault Christopher Zenga will be making his art available to buyers at the Toronto 2010 FanExpo, from August 27-29. It's a great opportunity to buy prints, or even have a custom zombie portrait done. Check out Chris' stuff right here.

You know, there's a fantastic podcast out there called Family Movie Night where a dad and his 10 year old daughter discuss old and new films. They reviewed Jaws a few weeks back and it may be worth checking out. I was never too susceptible to Jaws--one of those movies I had just always seen bits and pieces of so I never had that first sit-through experience--but I do know plenty of people out there whose childhood beach experiences were ruined from it. So ultimately, I have no idea.

On a side note, we just showed my 5 year old niece and 4 year old nephew the original Night of the lIving Dead, which they loved. The only downside was that one of the reasons my niece seemed to like it was because, in her words, "it was so neat when the little girl killed her mommy." Um.

I'm probably not the person to give advice on the subject (considering I showed my two 5 year old cousins Poltergeist and they were traumatized for weeks). But I say throw her to the fire. My parents did with me at the ripe age of 5 with Aliens. And look how I turned out.....

I may be late, but yes, let her watch Jaws. Actually, it was one of my early horror obsessions, my father even paid an "extra fee" so I could watch part 4 in the theater.. maybe I regret that because nowadays I really avoid any shark film (except for the first Jaws)

The Dakota was Boris Karloff's longtime New York address. Back when he was doing ARSENIC AND OLD LACE, he would come home from the theater and put in a few hours' duty as the building's Air Raid Warden.

Which horror film *should* be remade?

Like The Vault on Facebook

Welcome to the Vault....

I've been fascinated with horror ever since my parents let me watch The Exorcist at 8 years old (what were they thinking??) and I ran up to my bed screaming when Linda Blair's eyes rolled into the back of her head.Although it often gets a bad rap from "mainstream" critics and audiences alike, horror has often been the most creative and vibrant movie genre of all, from Nosferatu to Saw. Some of the finest motion pictures ever made are part of the horror genre, including Frankenstein, Psycho, The Shining and my personal all-time favorite, George Romero's Dawn of the Dead.This blog is the culmination of my 25-year love affair with all things blood and guts--so check back here often for news and opinion on the world of horror. And remember...